Tag: deadline looms

44,800 customers opt to spread the cost as tax deadline looms

Self Assessment customers can set up a payment plan with HMRC to pay their tax bill

As the deadline to submit a Self Assessment tax returns looms, nearly 44,800 people have sorted their tax bills totalling almost £148 million, by setting up a payment plan.

More than 7.7 million Self Assessment customers have already filed their tax return for the 2022 to 2023 tax year, but HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding anyone who still needs to pay their tax bill should do so before the deadline on 31 January or risk facing a penalty.

Those who are unable to pay in full can check online to see if they can set up a monthly payment plan called Time to Pay. If they owe less than £30,000, they can use the affordability checker on GOV.UK to help decide the best arrangements for them. Interest will be applied to any outstanding balances from 1 February.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “We want to help Self Assessment customers meet their obligations and there is no time like the present to choose the right payment option for you.

“Whether you choose to pay in instalments, via the HMRC app or using online banking, search ‘pay your Self Assessment tax bill’ on GOV.UK for a full list of options.”

In addition to those who have set up an online payment plan, in December 2023, 28,794 customers used the free and secure HMRC app to pay more than £42 million in tax owed. Customers can also receive a tax refund via the app.

They should include their bank account details when filing, so that if HMRC needs to make a repayment, they can do so quickly and securely.

For those who pay their current estimated tax bill via Payment on Account, the first instalment for the 2023 to 2024 tax year is due on 31 January.

A full list of payment options can be found on GOV.UK.

There is also a video on YouTube that explains a customer’s Self Assessment tax bill and the different ways to pay.

HMRC will consider a customer’s reasons for not being able to meet the deadline for completing their Self Assessment on time. Those who provide HMRC with a reasonable excuse may avoid a penalty.

The penalties for late tax returns are:

  • an initial £100 fixed penalty, which applies even if there is no tax to pay, or if the tax due is paid on time
  • after 3 months, additional daily penalties of £10 per day, up to a maximum of £900
  • after 6 months, a further penalty of 5% of the tax due or £300, whichever is greater
  • after 12 months, another 5% or £300 charge, whichever is greater

There are also additional penalties for paying late – 5% of the tax unpaid at 30 days, 6 months and 12 months. Interest will also be charged on any tax paid late.

People should be aware of the risk of falling victim to scams and should never share their HMRC login details with anyone, including a tax agent, if they have one. HMRC scams advice is available on GOV.UK.

More information about Self Assessment

HMRC: Self Assessment deadline countdown begins

HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is reminding Self Assessment customers that today, on Sunday 24 October, they have ONE WEEK LEFT to submit paper tax returns and 100 days to go for online tax returns.

The Self Assessment tax return deadlines for 2020/21 tax year are 31 October 2021 for paper returns and 31 January 2022 if customers complete their tax return online.

More than 10.7 million customers completed a tax return by 31 January 2021, of those 96% submitted it online. Completing it online is the quickest method and with around 100 days to go, customers have plenty of time to get it done.

Even if customers submit their completed tax return now, they do not have to pay any tax owed until 31 January 2022. Anyone who is worried about how to pay their bill can access support on GOV.UK. Various payment options include:

·       Paying through a customers’ tax code (PAYE customers only)

·       Payment on Account

·       Setting up an online monthly payment plan (self-serve Time to Pay)

·       Pay by debit or corporate credit card

·       Pay at a bank or building society

Visit GOV.UK for a full list of payment options and the eligibility criteria. Customers should contact HMRC if they have concerns about paying their bill.

Myrtle Lloyd, HMRC’s Director General for Customer Services, said: “There are 100 days left to complete your tax return, but you don’t have to wait for the 31 January deadline. Why not do it now and get it out of the way? Visit GOV.UK and search ‘self assessment’ to find out more.” 

The 2020/21 tax return covers earnings and payments during the pandemic. Customers will need to declare if they received any grants or payments from the COVID-19 support schemes up to 5 April 2021 on their Self Assessment, as these are taxable, including:

·       Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS)

·       Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS)

·       Other COVID-19 grants and support payments such as self-isolation payments, local authority grants and those for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme

The £500 one-off payment for working households receiving tax credits should not be reported in Self Assessment.

HMRC urges everyone to be alert if they are contacted out of the blue by someone asking for money or personal information. HMRC sees high numbers of fraudsters emailing, calling or texting people claiming to be from the department.

If in doubt, HMRC advises not to reply directly to anything suspicious, but to contact them straight away and to search GOV.UK for ‘HMRC scams’.

Time’s running out to sign up for Garden waste service

Registration closes at 2pm on 1st September

Registration to join the next service year for the Garden Waste service is open until 2pm on 1 September.

The next service year will run from 8 November 2021 to 6 November 2022.

If you currently use our Garden Waste service you need to renew your permit by 2pm on 1 September to continue receiving collections after 7 November 2021. If you don’t use the service but would like to, you can sign up now.

Last year garden waste customers helped us turn over 20,000 tonnes of garden waste into compost, which is used on farms, gardens and greenspaces.

Sign Up or Renew and Pay

The cost of a permit is increasing from £25 to £35 a year.

The cost of running the service has increased since we introduced a paid collection service three years ago. To ensure we can continue to run the service we’ve had to increase the price for the first time since 2018. You can find out more about the pricing below.

The cost of the service is £35 per bin for fortnightly collections from 8 November 2021 until 6 November 2022 with no collections between 20 December and 16 January.

If you stay in a traditional tenement, with the numbering system 1F1, 1F2, etc. this format is used when registering. The flat numbers follow the flow of the staircase, for each floor.  For example, 3F2 should be interpreted as 3rd floor, flat 2, which is the second flat from the stair.

If you want to share a bin with your neighbours, you will need to agree on one resident acting as the lead in paying for the service against their address and reporting any issues.

You can register on behalf of someone else, if they are unable to.

If you are a commercial site, please see details below.

You will need to renew your permit every year before it expires to continue receiving the service.

You can sign up during the mid-year registration window which opens in December, however the cost will remain at £35 and the permit will run until the end of the service year, which is 6 November 2022.

You no longer have to use your mygovscot myaccount. However, if you choose not to log in, you won’t see the history of your garden waste permits on your mygovscot myaccount.

Read the garden waste terms and conditions.

Pay your garden waste subscription